Web designer paddles into county award

When deciding to open her award-winning company, Denise Páne combined her two passions, web design and kayaking.

In 2000, Páne moved to Lotus after receiving an enticing offer from Current Adventures Kayak School and Trips owner Dan Crandall.

“I was living in the Bay Area and I wanted to move up to El Dorado County because I love kayaking,” Páne said. “He said if I moved up to teach kayaking for him, he would pay to train me in web design so I could manage his website.”

Crandall, who also owns The River Store in Lotus, said after working with Páne and realizing her love for kayaking and strong work ethic, he knew he needed to find a way of enticing her to move to El Dorado County to work alongside him and help his business grow.